Exodus 16:2

2 et murmuravit omnis congregatio filiorum Israhel contra Mosen et contra Aaron in solitudine

Exodus 16:2 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 16:2

And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured,
&c.] For want of bread; for the Targum of Jonathan says, that day the dough ceased they brought of Egypt, on which, and the unleavened cakes they had lived thirty days; and for a longer space of time it was not sufficient, as Josephus F7 and other Jewish writers F8 observe; and now it was all spent, and they were in the utmost distress for bread, and fall a murmuring as they were used to do, when in any distress, even the whole congregation of them, at least the far greater part; some few might be excepted, as Caleb and Joshua, and some others: and they

murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness;
in the wilderness of Sin, where they were, and where no corn was to be had to make bread of; and their murmuring was not only against Moses, as before when they wanted water, but against Aaron also, who were jointly concerned in bringing them out of Egypt. It is a common case, when things do not go so well as to be wished for in church or state, for people to murmur against their governors, ecclesiastic or civil, and lay all the blame to them.


FOOTNOTES:

F7 Antiqu. l. 2. c. 15. sect. 1.
F8 Seder Olam Rabba, c. 5. p. 17.

Exodus 16:2 In-Context

1 profectique sunt de Helim et venit omnis multitudo filiorum Israhel in desertum Sin quod est inter Helim et Sinai quintodecimo die mensis secundi postquam egressi sunt de terra Aegypti
2 et murmuravit omnis congregatio filiorum Israhel contra Mosen et contra Aaron in solitudine
3 dixeruntque ad eos filii Israhel utinam mortui essemus per manum Domini in terra Aegypti quando sedebamus super ollas carnium et comedebamus panes in saturitate cur eduxistis nos in desertum istud ut occideretis omnem multitudinem fame
4 dixit autem Dominus ad Mosen ecce ego pluam vobis panes de caelo egrediatur populus et colligat quae sufficiunt per singulos dies ut temptem eum utrum ambulet in lege mea an non
5 die autem sexta parent quod inferant et sit duplum quam colligere solebant per singulos dies
The Latin Vulgate is in the public domain.